Oilwatch International, a civil society organisation, has renewed call for the phasing out of fossil fuels.
Dr Nnimmo Bassey, a Steering Committee Member, made the remark in a statement by Kome Odhomor, the Media and Communications Lead, on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Bassey said that the recent conference for Territories Free of Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, failed to produce actionable measures to phase out fossil fuels.
“That conference presented a great but missed opportunity. The world must move from fossil fuel phase-down to complete phase-out,” he said.
He stated that, for about 30 years, Oilwatch had continued to advocate for non-exploration of fossil fuels to avert climate crisis and environmental degradation.
The Oilwatch official said that the conference provided a platform for exchange of ideas on community-led strategies to develop alternatives to fossil fuel-dependent energy systems.
“The conference which held between April 24 and 25, largely focused on phase-down discussions rather than a complete phase-out of fossil fuels.
“The process was driven largely by trade and market environmentalism, Fossil fuel extraction is like warfare, violence and destruction of the environment,” he said.
Bassey decried the inauguration of the Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition, and warned that indigenous communities directly affected by fossil fuel extraction could be sidelined in the processes.
“Every just transition process should be led by those in the impacted territories, and not politicians or co-opted academics.
“Extraction activities in the Global South amounts to war against vulnerable communities and ecosystems,” he said.
By Precious Akutamadu